Belt-tightener.



No. 706,009. Patented Aug. 5, I902.

u. c. BASSETT.

BELT TIGHTENER.

(Application filed. Dec. 5, 1900) (No Model.)

Fig.1.

Inventor: .fi'armm Cffiassafi may.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NORMAN C. BASSETT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

BELT-TIGHTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 706,009, dated August 5, 1902. Application filed December 5, 1900. Serial No. 38,718. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: support C, preferably a segment-plate, which Be it known that I, NORMAN C. BAssETT, a has an arm c, in which is inserted a stud D citizen of the United States, residing at Bosfor the idler-pulley E. One mode of conton, county of Sulfolk, State of Massachustructing the stud is shown in Fig. 2, where 5 setts, have invented certain new and useful the stud has a screw-threaded shank d, pass- Improvements in Belt-Tighteners, (Case No. ing through the arm 0 and receiving a fas 1,841,) of which the following is a specifica toning-nut d, which draws a collar of on the tion. stud tight against the outside of the arm.

Myinvention relates to belt-tighteners; and The stud proper is preferably hollow to form to its object is to provide a device of this kind an oil-chamber, having lateral ports through which can be secured to a shaft-bearing and which the oil can flow to the pulley bearings be capable of angular movement to any point at each end. The pulley is retained in place around the shaft, so that the belt can be led on the stud by a washer (Z and nut d. A off at any angle and the tightener be placed grease-cup d closes the outer end of the oili5 on either side of it. chamber. Bolts F pass through the ends of In small electric motorsdesigned to be the plate and have T-heads, Fig. 6, engaging belted directly to slowrunning machineswith the undercut groove a, so that the plate such as printingpresses, type-setting macan he slid along the groove around the shaft chines, machine-tools, and the likeit is deto any desired position. If desired, the bolts o sirable to use a driving-pulley of very small F can be used to hold the plate in place when diameter in order to give a slow-running belt adjusted; but I prefer to provide means for With a comparatively fast-running motor; causing the idler-pulley to exert a constant but in such a pulley the surface in contact yielding pressure on the belt. Such means with the belt is so short that some device is may consist of the mechanism shown, which 7 2 5 necessary to wrap the belt around as much is as follows: A rod H is pivoted to the plate of the pulleyas possible in order to give suf- C and passes loosely through an eyebolt I, ficient contact with the circumference of the pivoted in a block K, which is adapted to pulleyto transmitthe power. As these motors slide in the groove a, and has a clampingmay be used in all sorts of situations and po-= bolt 70 entering a T-shaped piece K inside 3o sitions, a belt-tightener which can be placed the groove. AspringL encircles the rod beanywhere around the pulley-shaft and on yond the eyebolt, which serves as an abuteither side of the belt is a very useful con ment against which the spring is compressed trivance. Ihave therefore shown myinvento the proper tension by the nuts 71.. The tion as applied to an electric motor; but it is block K having been firmly clamped in posi- 5 to be understood that it can be used in any tion, the spring will exert a constant but machine where a belt-tightener of this kind yielding pull on the plate C, the clampingis desirable. bolts F and T-heads for which being ar- In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is ranged to leave it free to slide back and forth an end elevation of a motor equipped with in the groove under the varying pressure of 40 my improved belt tightener. Fig. 2 is a the belt G.

crosssection on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 In the modification-shown in Figs. 4: and 5 is a detail cross-section on the line 8 3, Fig. 1. the idler-pulley E is carried on the end of the Fig. 4 is an end elevation of a modification. link M, pivoted to a split arm N, which can Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same, and be tightly clamped upon the shaft-bearing by 5 5 Fig. 6 is a sectional View taken on line 6 6 of means ofaboltn passing through said arm. A Fig. 1. perforated lug a projects from each side of ReferringtoFigs. 1, 2, and 3, the pulley end the arm, and through one or the other of of the motor-casing A has formed in it an unthem passesa rod H, pivotally connected with dercut groove a, concentric with the shaftB. the link M and having a tension-spring L 50 The casing is faced 0d adjacent to the groove abutting against the lug and adjustable by to form a bearing-surface for an. idler-pulley nuts 7z The arm can be swung around the shaft-bearin g to any desired angular position and firmly clamped there, thereby enabling the belt to be led off at any angle. The idlerpulley E can be placed on either side of the belt G by swinging the link from one side of the arm to the other and passing the rod H through the adjacent lug n.

It will be seen that with either of these devices the belt can be led off at any angle and the idler-pulley arranged to bear on either portion of the belt. The construction is simple and compact, and since the idler-pulley stands close to the driving-pulley the belt is held in contact with a large arc of the circumference of even a very small drivingpulley.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In combination, a shaft, an idler-pulley, a support for the pulley which is concentrically adjustable around the shaft, a second support also concentrically adjustable about the shaft, and a spring located between the pulley and the second support and acting on the pulley in a manner to keep the belt tight.

2. A belt-tightener mounted adjacent to a shaft, means whereby it can be adjusted concentrically with reference to said shaft, and

means for exerting a spring-pressure on said' tightener in any angular-position to which it is moved.

3. Abelt-tightenercomprisinganidler-pulley, a support for said pulley adjustable to any angular position with reference to the driving-pulley, and a spring-actuated rod. attached to said support.

4. The combination witha movable idlerpulley, of spring-actuated rod attached thereto, a support for the pulley which is movable bodily, and a movable support for said rod.

5. The combination of a driving-pulley, of an idler-pulley, a movable support for the idler-pulley, a rod pivoted to said support, an adjustable abutment through which said rod passes, nuts on the rod, and a spring compressed between the abutment and said nuts.

6. The combination with a driving-pulley and its shaft, of a bearing therefor contain ing a groove concentric with the shaft, a plate adjustable along said groove, an idler-pulley supported by said plate, and a spring which tends at all times to hold the pulley against a belt.

7. The combination with a driving-pulley and its shaft, of a bearing therefor containin g a groove concentric with the shaft, a plate adjustable along said groove, an idler-pulley supported by said plate, a bloclr also adjustable along the groove, and a yielding connec-- tion between the plate and the pulley,

8. The combination with a driving-pulley and its shaft, of a bearing therefor contain-- in g a groove concentric with the shaft, a plate adjustable along said groove, an idler-pulley supported by said plate, a block having a clamping-bolt engaging with the groove, and a spring-actuated rod pivotally attached to the plate and to the pulley.

9. The combination with an electric motor having an undercut groove in its casing concentric with the shaft, of a segment-plate adjustably mounted in the groove, bolts for con necting said plate with said grooved casing, an idler-pulley mounted on said plate,a block havingaclamping-*boltengagingwithsaidgrooved casing, an eyebolt pivoted in the block, a rod pivoted to the plate and passing through the eyebolt, a spring on the rod, and means for compressing it against the eyebolt.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 3d day of December, 1900.

NORMAN C. BASSETT. \Vitnesses:

DUGALD McK. Mcli'innor, JOHN J. WALKER. 

